DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the installments of Ace Attorney or any of the characters.
ACE ATTORNEY SCRAPBOOK
Chapter 6: Self-Reflective Essays
Case Tag: 5-2 (The Monstrous Turnabout)
Quote:
Athena:
I can't believe Prosecutor Blackquill would stoop that low! I mean, to pinning the blame on a yokai?! He really wants a conviction at all costs!
Apollo:
(She could give a yokai a run for its money when she's mad...)
Fulbright:
Yes, well... I have him writing a self-reflective essay as we speak!
Athena:
I doubt that'll teach him anything.
Apollo:
Yeah, he'll probably just write "Dotard" a thousand times.
April 18, 2027, 1:00pm
Detention Center
Simon Blackquill gripped the pencil in his hand tightly, so much so that the yellow painted wood beneath his fingers began to crack beneath the pressure. There was a glimmer in his dark eyes, reminiscent of the shimmering blade of his sword, but it was not from amusement or joviality in any way. No, instead, it was irritation, something which his unwelcome visitor was completely oblivious to as he strolled back and forth across the room, his brown leather shoes squeaking merrily against the tiled floor of the detention center cell.
"Prosecutor Blackquill, Sir," Detective Bobby Fulbright rambled on.
Fool Bright had been yammering non-stop since the conclusion of the day's trial and Blackquill, quite frankly, was ready to pummel the cheery detective. He had tuned out the man quite some time ago, but, when he caught the occasional word from Fool Bright's tirade, Blackquill reaffirmed that it was absolutely nothing of importance.
"...I like to consider myself a very open-minded person," Fulbright continued speaking, though his captive audience refused to listen (not like that would deter him in any case). "But even I can't imagine that a yokai is responsible for the murder of Alderman Kyubi! You are a very talented prosecutor, Sir, so I fully believe that you can secure a conviction without having to state that some invisible phantom-"
Blackquill stifled a yawn, though his attempt to do so was really unimpressive.
"Get to the point, Fool Bright," he snapped. "I have much better things to do than to be forced to sit here listening to your pointless drivel!"
The prosecutor's foul mood, as usual, did nothing to damper the chipper spirit of the detective. He swirled around mid-step and faced Blackquill, standing in his customary stance, with his fists resting on his hips, chest puffed out and a blindingly bright smile lighting up his entire face.
"Ha ha ha! Prosecutor Blackquill!" Fulbright laughed. "Do I need to bring out my specially designed 'Jolt of Justice' again?"
Blackquill raised one jet black eyebrow at Fool Bright's question. The "Jolt of Justice" device was something that the moronic detective came up with and rigged to the shackles Blackquill wore when outside of the prison. A single press of the button, as the prosecutor learned less than an hour ago, delivered a "shocking" reminder to behave properly and not, well, act like a convicted murderer.
"You wouldn't," Blackquill growled.
"I would," Fulbright replied. "I'm going to help rehabilitate you in any way I can and if that means I need to resort to some 'shocking' methods, so be it. In justice we trust!"
Blackquill did not reply, instead envisioning Taka swooping down from her perch and pecking Fool Bright's eyes out. Smirking at that thought, Fool Bright mistook Blackquill's smile as something else entirely.
"I'm glad you agree, Sir!" he continued cheerily.
Blackquill, not having heard the last thousand or so words that Fool Bright had just spit out, shook his head and looked up at the detective.
"Agree? Agree to what?" he exclaimed.
"Why, the subject of your essay, of course!"
"My what?!"
"Sir, I'm going to help you turn into an upstanding, law abiding citizen of this great city!" there was an unmistakable fire burning behind the detective's yellow colored shades. "But you need to help me to help you, Sir! I'm glad to see you're on board with this and-"
"What on earth are you talking about, Fool Bright?"
Fool Bright's face immediately sobered and the radical change of emotions was almost unnerving. Blackquill suddenly felt like he was in school again and he was the misbehaving student who was about to incur the wrath of his teacher.
"You will write a self-reflective essay for me, discussing why you would resort to pinning the crime on the so-called 'yokai'," Fulbright explained in a very monotonous, deadpan tone. "You are a talented prosecutor, Sir, so I think it's important for you to look inside yourself to find the reason why you would use such tactics when you could clearly win the case without stooping so low."
"No. I refuse to do such nonsense-" Blackquill started to protest.
Fool Bright ignored the prosecutor.
"If you keep complaining, Sir," he said. "I'll make the minimum number of words 2,000 instead of a thousand."
"One thousand words?!"
"I can bump it to 3,000, if you'd like,"
"No," Blackquill said through gritted teeth. "One thousand is fine..."
Fool Bright's grin instantly returned.
"Great! I'll be back in a few hours to pick up your essay," he said as he headed toward the door of the detention center. "In justice we trust!"
Still gripping the pencil tightly in his hand, Blackquill ended up snapping the wood into two splintered pieces as Fool Bright strolled merrily out of the room.